Transmission-belt.



A. H. GITS.

TRANSMISSION BELT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1909.

0 m T M mm My d u w m m w 1 J w M w M 9 7PM Patented Dec.20, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. H. GITS.

TRANSMISSION BELT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1909.

17 1"! MIM "III 11mm IIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE. f

ALPHONS H. GITS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRANSMISSION-BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dem, 20 1914), Applicationfiled November 24, 1909.

Serial No. 529,760.

To all tvhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHONS H. Grrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of (3901: and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transmission-Belts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to link chains of metal specially designed foruse as transmission belts for power machinery.

The object of the invention is to provide such a device of largetransmission capacity which can be very easily and cheaply made and puttogether so that it operates with very little friction and withconsequent high efficiency.

The invention consists in a chain construction having rolling instead ofsliding bearings at the joints of the chain, said chain being equippedwith a flexible material gripping device so as to make engagement withthe flanges of the pulleys over whichthe device runs; in a novelconstruction by which the chain may be made of relatively few simpleparts, easily assembled into a chain of great strength and durabilityadapted to run without friction at the joints; and in a novel mechanismfor yoking two chains together so that they run uniformly over a singlepulley having a plurality of grooves thereby doing away with loss ofpower which occurs where two parallel chains are run over the samepulleys without any connection between them because one belt will betight over the tops of the pulleys while the other will be tight overthe bottoms of the pulleys, thereby subjecting the pulleys and belts toconflicting strains and reactions.

Figure 1 is a perspective'view of a complete chain of this invention inits preferred form.- Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one link, forconvenience hereafter called a primary link, and two connecting links,hereafter referred to as secondary links, adjacent thereto. Figs. 3, 4and 5 show respectively successive stages occurring in taking the deviceof Fig. 2 apart. Figs. 6 and 7 show two different bearing pins removedfrom Fig. 2 used in connecting each primary and secondary link together.Fig. 8 is a side view of a complete chain illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 9is a central vertical sectional View taken lengthwise of a chainadjacent to pins 18. Fig. 10 is a plan view artially in sec tion takenon the irregular line 1010, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail cross sectionalview taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a side enlarged detailview of one of the secondary links showing the manner of securing thebearing pins therein. Fig. 13 is a sectional plan view takenapproximately on the line 1313 of Fig. 12.

In general construction this chain follows my Patent No. 87 5,426 fordrive belt, issued December 31, 1907, that is to say; it consists of apluralityof primary links 15 connected together by secondary links 16pivoted to the primary links and partially inclosed upon the wearin sideby friction strips 17 of leather, or the ike, secured broadly speaking,to the-chain by rivets 18 passing vertically through the center of theprimary links.

The primary links 15 are constructed of two bars 20 and 21 havingrespectively vertical faces 22 and 23 adapted to lie close to thevertical walls of the secondary links 16 and having inclined outsidefaces 24 and 25 corresponding in angularity to the walls of the grooveof the pulley in which the chain is to run. portions of the bars 20 and21 are lugs or pins 28 and 29 and extending from the opposite upperfaces of these bars are other projecting lugs 30 and 31 have oppositelyfaced substantially parallel vertical faces 32 and 33 respectively.Above these connecting members 20 and 21 is placed a connecting plate ofmetal 35 having therein, as best seen'in Fig. 3, a plurality ofperforations 36 adapted to be entered by the lugs 30 and 31 and adaptedto be engaged by the faces 32 and 33 to thereby prevent spreading of thebars 20 and 21 away from each other. The plate 35 is covered with ablock 36 of leather or hard rubber or the like and over this block 36 isplaced a protecting metal plate 37.

Around the under portion of the successive primary links 15 of the chainand extending along the length of the chain is placed a strip, or belt,of soft friction ma terial 17 such as leather so cut and shaped that theupper edges 39 will, when the device is ready for use, just lie incontact with the under sides of the blocks 36, whereby the material 17and the edges of the blocks 36 bear frictionally against the walls ofthe pulley in which the belt runs.

The secondary links 16 heretofore referred to are of approximately,though not necessarily, the same length as the bars 20 and 21 of therimary links and may be made of one piece of metal or, preferably, of aplurality of thin sheets 41, 42 and 43 secured together by any suitablemeans, as shown in Fig. 5. These secondary links normally lie betweenthe bars 20 and 21 in the primary links, as shown in the differentfigures. Through each end of the secondary.

links heretofore described is a hole 45 of approximately circular formand in the side of each hole nearest the end of the link is secured apin46. This pin 46 is of a length equal to the combined thickness of thesecondary link and the adjacent bars of the primary link and is securedto the secondary link by having notches 47 out out of its upper andlower center portions, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the intermediatecentral portion 48 may fit in correspondingly shaped notches in the endsof the secondary links, as shown in specific detail in Figs. 12 and 13.The pin46 is firmly secured in the ends of the link 16 by having themetallic portions 50 adjacent thereto bent or swaged down over theinclined faces 51 of the bottoms of the notches 47. These pins 46 arepreferably thus'secured in the secondary links 16 during the rocess ofmanufacture and are not, there ore, ordinarily removed. The pin 46 is soformed that when thus secured in position upon the link 16 the curvedfront face 52 of the pin contains the center of the holes 45 heretoforedescribed, the curvature of the face being such that when acorresponding pin is placed adjacent thereto and rigidly connected tothe bars of the primary links the faces of the two adjacent pins willroll on each other and thus afford a rolling bearing for the links ofthe chain, thereby doing away with the great wear which occurs where thesliding friction of an ordinary single pin joint is used.

The second or coacting pin just referred to is that marked 56 having thebearing face 57 adapted to bear against the face 52 heretofore referredto. The opposite face of this pin 56 is of peculiar constructionconsisting of a curved central portion 58, two ribs 59 runninglengthwise of the pin from the central portion 58 to the end thereof,shoulders 60 being upon the ends of the portion 58 and forming the endsof recesses 61 on opposite sides of the rib 59. These ribs 59 areadapted to enter corresponding recesses 62 in the circular holes 63formed inthe bars 20 and 21 of the primary links,

as shown, the shoulders 60 hearing against the adjacent inside walls 22or 23, as the case may be, of the bars 20 and 21. The pin 56 is, asshown, of substantially the same length as the pin 46 and the pins areso proportioned that they both pass through the holes 45 and 63 of thelinks, there being, however, a little play between the parts so thatwhen the faces 52 and 57 of two given pins are in rolling contact theface 58 of the pin 56 is not in frictional contact with any portion ofthe adjacent wall of hole 45.

In the assembling of the parts the operator first brings together twosecondary links and the bars of a primary link,- as shown in Fig. 5, hethen places a pin 56 through each of the adjacent holes 45 of thesecondary links and then places the bars 20 and 21 of the primary linksin the position of Fig. 4, thereby through the action of the shoulders60 locking the loose pin 56in position so that it cannot drop out. Hethen proceeds to add the locking parts in the order shown in Figs. 3 and2 and finally the friction belt 17 whereby the complete chain is formedin a very simple manner and without liability of coming apart or gettingout of order, because the bars 20 and 21 lock the pin 56 in position,theplate 35 locks the bars 20 and 21 and the plates 36 and 37 togetherwhile the rivets 18 lock all these latter parts in position. The rivetsare of such a size that they assist the centralportions 58 of pins 56 inholding the bars. far enough apart so that the secondary links may rockon the rolling joints without frictional enga ementwith the bars of theprimary links. As the faces 52 and 57 roll upon each other instead ofthere being sliding friction the chain is frictionless and subject tovery slight wear with the result that the device is very satisfactory inpractice.

Where two chains or belts run parallel to each other in parallel groovesor pulleys there is almost always a difference in frictional contactwith the pulleys, with the result that one chain works while the otherdoes not, or they work in opposite direction, as heretofore statedthereby subjecting the device to strain and breakage which should nottake place. In order to avoid this difficulty two parallel chains areplaced side by side, as shown in Fig. 1, and frequent pairs of parallellinks are connected together by a bridge piece 65 engaged by the rivets18 so that the two chains necessarily run in unison. More than twochains can thus be coupled.

To assist in assembling the primary links sharp prongs 65 are providedon plates 35, and prongs 66 are provided on plates 37, adapted to enterthe material of blocks The claims are:

1. In a chain having successive primary and secondary links, thecombination of a secondary link, a pair of bars of a primary lmk adacent thereto, there being holes registering with each other througheach of said p:11'ts,'a pin through the bars and. link rigidly securedto the end of the link, and a second detachable pin assing through saidholes in said bars and ink, there being means formed by the lastmentioned pin and the bars of the primary link locking said pin inposition, and curved faces upon said pins contacting with each other toprovide rolling contact as the secondary link is rocked with referenceto the primary link.

2. In a link chain having successive primary and secondary links, thecombination of a pair of secondary links in line with\ each other, apair of bars of a primary link embracing the two adjacent ends of thesecondary links, pivotal connections between each pair of barsandathehintermediate adjacent secondary links, a detachable plate incontact with the bars of the primary link bridging the secondary links,and means for securing said plate in contact with said bars whereby theprimary link is formed and the secondary llIlkS are retained in positionbetween the bars thereof.

8. In a transmission belt for ower machinery, usable in connection w1thpulleys having parallel V shaped grooves, the combination of a pluralityof chains each made up of a plurality of suitabl connected V shapedlinks of substantially t e same length adapted to work parallel to eachother in the V shaped grooves of said'pulleys and connectors betweenadjacent links of the two chains, adapted to bridge the flanges betweensaid adjacent V shaped grooves ofsaid pulleys and adapted to force saidchains to travel in unison.

at. In a chain, a pair of secondary links in line with each other, twobars of a primary link on opposite sides of the secondary links, pivotalconnectionbetween the primary and secondary links, means connecting thebars, and a rivet passing through said connecting means and bet-weensaid jbarsfor the purposes set forth.

5. In a link chain having secondary links, the combination of asecondary link member having alined pivot members projecting fromoppositesides thereof, the faces of said members toward the center ofthe secondary link being curved, another pivot member passing through ahole in the secondary member adj acent to said pivot members which areupon the secondary link, said second pivot member having a curved faceadapted for rollr ing engagementupon the curved faces of the pivotmembers upon the secondary link and a primary link comprising a pair ofbars, and means for securing them together, there being holes insaid-bars adaptedto receive and contain both the pivot members rimaryand upon the secondary link and the second mentioned pivot member, saidsecond mentioned pivot member being recessed in these parts whichnormally lie wholly within the bars of the primary link so as toform-shoulders adjacent to the secondary link against which the bars ofthe primary link bear, whereby extraction of the second mentionedpivotal member is impossible without taking the primary link apart, andsaid second mentioned pivotal member is prevented from rotating withreference to the bars of the primary link.

6. In a link chain having primary and secondary links, a secondary linkmember, alined pivot members projecting from opposite sides thereof, thesame being formed of a single piece of metal secured to the secondarylink by having its central portion notched and thus reduced in size soas to fit within a notch formed in one side of a hole I. passing throughthe secondary link, a primary link comprising a pair of bars adapted tolie on oppositesides of the secondary link in combination with means fordetachably securing said bars together, said bars being provided withholes near their ends in which the first mentioned pivotal memberenters, a second pivotal member locked in assembled position, therebeing rolling I surfaces formed upon the faces of the two pivotalmembers, which are adjacent to each other, whereby, as said linksrockowith ref{- erence to each other, said pivot members roll over eachother for thepurposes set forth. I

7. In a chain of the class described, the combination ofa secondary link16 having near its end a hole 45 through which a pivot member 46 isinserted, the pivot member being secured in rigid position with reference to the link by hav ng its central por-- tion, 48 reduced in thenotches 47 so that said central portion fitswithin a notch 49 formedint'hat sideof the hole 45, which is farthest from the center of thelink 16, a primary link comprising a pair of side bars 20 and 21 andmeans for securing them together, said bars having holes 63 thereinwithin which the ends 52 of the pivotal member 46 are adapted to lie,and a second pivotal member 56 having a central portion 58 te r minatingin shoulders, 60 running into repentering notches cesses' 61, formingribs 62 of the side bars of t nk, thereby hold ing said pivotal membe 56with reference to the primary link, each of said scribed my 'r'lame'inthe presence of two witpivot mgmbers 46 andf56 being rgspective? nesses.provide with curved aces 52 an 57 WhiCl x are adapted to roll upon eachother when the ALPHONE" GITS' 5 links are in assembled position, all asshown Witnesses:

and described, for the' purposes set forth. DWIGHT 1B. CHEEVER, Inwitpess whereof, I have hereunto sub- MARGARET D. RoBB.

